Easy Southern Fig Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between fig jam and fig preserves? ›

Fig Jam. Fig preserves are not technically the same as fig jam, although this particular recipe yields a jar of preserves that's quite similar to jam. In general, jam is made with mashed fruit while preserves have whole fruit or large pieces of fruit throughout.

Sprinkle the baking soda over the figs; cover with the 12 cups of boiling water. Soak for 45 minutes to 1 hour. This helps remove any latex from the skin of any slightly under-ripe figs.

Fresh figs are usually eaten raw. They taste best eaten straight off the tree, ideally still warm from the sun. The entire fig is edible, from the thin skin to the red or purplish flesh and the myriad tiny seeds, but they can be peeled if you wish.

Figs that are too ripe (insides oozing out), make for a bitter jam.

Having fulfilled her life's mission the female wasp dies inside the fig. The eggs become grubs that grow inside the seeds. After completing their full development in a few weeks they emerge from inside the seeds. The males emerge first and start looking for females to mate with.

As they are packed with essential nutrients and antioxidants. Getting enough dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals is key for good blood flow and a healthy heart. Figs soaked in water overnight may give you these vital nutrients. This boosts blood flow and reduces the risk of heart disease.

“If your skin gets in contact with the fig leaves, then later on, when you're sweating, it makes you itch,” she explains. To add another level of challenge, the tree secretes a milky, mildly toxic sap known as “fig latex” when fruit are picked or leaves cut off.

Sadly, sugar plays a huge role in set. If you cut the amount in the recipe and you don't compensate with a pectin designed for low sugar preserving, your jam may well be runny. Did you check for set while the jam was cooking? Any time a recipe gives you a cooking time, it's simply an approximation.

How do you know when fig jam is done? ›

Take the jam off the heat while testing. Push your finger through the jam on the plate - you're looking for it to wrinkle and not flood back in to fill the gap. If it's not ready, turn the pan back on, simmer for five minutes and test again.

Since fresh figs are perishable, they need to be kept in the refrigerator, between 32ºF-36ºF. Like strawberries, which can get moldy if exposed to too much moisture, it's generally not recommended that you wash figs as soon as you bring them home from the market.

Fig jam and soft cheeses

Fig jam and its spicy taste can be paired with goat's fresh cheeses, such as Camembert and Brie.

Cooking any mixture of fruit and sugar long enough will result in a jam that will set up in your canning jars. But longer cooking times can mean over-processed flavor, darkened color and a lower yield. Adding pectin allows you to cook jam for a much shorter time, which may result in the jam of your dreams.

Preserves are the closest thing to consuming whole fruit. They contain chunks of the actual fruit, making them richer in fiber and nutrients. As with jam, though, the sugar content can vary based on the brand or recipe. In terms of health benefits, preserves generally come out on top due to their whole fruit content.

However you sterilize them, canned jars should be processed in a hot water bath for at least 10 minutes after they are filled and sealed, and opened jars need to be refrigerated. You can always refrigerate your preserves right off the bat and eat them within a few weeks of opening.

Sadly, sugar plays a huge role in set. If you cut the amount in the recipe and you don't compensate with a pectin designed for low sugar preserving, your jam may well be runny. Did you check for set while the jam was cooking? Any time a recipe gives you a cooking time, it's simply an approximation.